Elisabeth Berenberg

Elisabeth Berenberg was a merchant banker and a member of the Berenberg family known as the only woman ever to serve as a partner at Berenberg Bank.

Elisabeth was the daughter of Johann Berenberg (1718-1772) and Anna Maria Lastrop (1723–1761). Her family was a scion of prominent and influential merchant and banking families. Her great-grandfather Cornelius Berenberg, a hereditary grand burgher by 1684 is credited for developing Berenberg merchant house into a highly successful merchant bank.

Since her only brother Rudolf (1748-1768) was possibly mentally ill, and died at young age of 20, she was the last male line member of the Flemish-originated Berenberg family in Hamburg.

In 1768, she married Johann Hinrich Gossler, who had joined Berenberg Bank as an apprentice and who became a partner in the firm. Although she was not considered beautiful, she was intelligent, cultivated, kind, spoke many languages (including Latin) and became an exemplary wife and mother. She made sure that her children also receive a very good education.

After Johann Berenberg's death, Gossler became the sole owner and head of the bank. She survived his husband and after his death she managed the company together with her son-in-law (1790-1800). After she withdrew from the business, she retained a large account with the Berenberg Company of several hundred thousand Mark Banco until her death.